Fabric, papers, glue, scissors and a shoe box... Lowry designed her Valentine's receiving box with Round Flowers in pink and red and had fun with the Felicity Miller Small Dots pattern for Caspari in platinum and red.
Open for business! Happy Day All.
The next best thing to being there is receiving a photo from a beautiful friend standing in the Ancient Greece and Rome section with a Felicity bag! Ah, I feel in good company...
Remember this post? Well here's the finished quilt - Elisa really is a wonder - in between finishing her degree at Cornell, feeding her family, and translating on work trips to Italy she has finished the two Gypsy quilts for her daughters. I made the European Square pillow from a tapestry crafted by my Mum - the colours go rather well I think.
A little bit of knitting... I wonder if I will finish this project?
Elisa's quilts were expertly machine quilted by Mandy Hares who is sporting a festive Gypsy apron that she made. Thanks to all for your inspiring completions!
So it is now 2012 - how it is already the 16th January I know not, but it is high time to send out gratitude to all you readers out there - I have loved your comments and staying power - thank you, and all warm wishes for cosy hours with family and friends. Lowry and I have been reading the marvelous works of Tove Jansson and her Finn Family Moomintroll, the above just perfect for winter consumption. I love her playful prose and engaging, quirky illustrations of these priceless little beings. Required reading in my book!
Gypsy bookmarks a quick project to use up scraps - fringed or pinked edges - whatever your fancy. Boil the kettle and settle awhile. Lingonberry jam would be nice too...
I am happy to announce that my first ever block design made it into Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks magazine! (Winter 2011, Volume 4). Specifically designed for my Gypsy collection, it is called Window Box and features the stylized Round Flowers at its centre. So far it is just a block - the quilt still has to be designed! I would love to hear your comments and would gladly feature a quilt (or other item) on this blog that you create incorporating my block. And get writing - the first person to comment on this post will receive a complimentary copy of the magazine! Thanks to all of you out there who create beautiful things from my fabrics, and to all the designers of the quilt blocks which inspire millions.
Don't know where the days of September went, but at the end of them I had the privilege of going Home to England for a week. Unspeakable joy. Family, friends, food - all good, good, good. And I got to meet my brother's little Elvis, King of Pugs.
October, and Lowry had her heart set on being a Wiener Dog. After some futile monkeying, I remembered a metal bucket handle that I had saved (yes, I am English) in case of an emergency (and this was one) which we cut in half and used as a tail insert with a good deal of padding. Nice curve, eh?
Time to make a birthday gift - a double sided napkin with blue doggies and stripes - fun to revisit my Circus collection. Can't get enough of those canines!
Studio progress - have moved in and begun work at the red table...
I used bowls and cups of varying sizes to lightly trace outlines of my very stylized musical notes, then hand quilted them with running stitch - love such simple, peaceful work...
Ta da!
The Singing Chick pillow namesake was made by the very talented Cheryl Germain, a fiber artist from Genoa, NY.
Elle and her friend Jess were shooting with the Canon Rebel out back the other day - I asked if one of them would model this Gypsy shirt. Thank you, Jess - you look delightful! Jeanne commissioned it based on a shirt she loves to wear - simple button-up with collar. We used 3 colours of Music for an eclectic feel. Time to stay out of the heat and make a little Music of your own perhaps?
My dear friend Susan sent me this cushion - it couldn't have arrived at a better time... a lot going on with life in general - these are challenging times for many I know. A cuppa with a good friend is not to be underestimated. Infusion of hope. Lately I have been feeling the strong pull of the homeland - perhaps something to do with the recent nuptials? Hmmn.
We have been knee-deep in studio renovation since February. I am soooooo grateful as I have been anticipating this for 15 years! Below is the start of the move - see the low ceiling and stained carpet?
First it gets worse before it gets better...
... as the first dropped ceiling comes down (there were 2). Whapping mess - thank you Mr. Miller and Owen for your undaunted persistence. My studio is the old summer kitchen/woodshed added to the house around 1851. I debated showing this awful disarray but sometimes it is interesting to see behind the scenes - viewing the "making of..." about films, painting and dance makes the finished product more beautiful to me.
We discovered old oak planking beneath the carpet. Score! My first encounter with a random orbit sander. Happy to use my kneeling pad. All roads lead back to tea!
Will post again soon with new views of the studio. Thanks to all who have made this renovation possible, family, friends, professionals.
Gratefully - Felicity
You can stand up in it!
It makes a cosy reading nook...
And a Place in the Sun... (much needed - it's not making much of an appearance in Upstate). A beautiful, multi-purpose bag made by Doreen Hares from a pattern called the Venti Tote Bag by Purse Strings. She used Kites for a fun, summery look.
